Local Search Is The Key To Being Found in 2023

Content

• Introduction

• What is Local Search?

• How to use the explosion of 'Near Me' local searches to your advantage

• The Best Ways to Rank in Local Search

• Stats every business should know about Local Search

• The Future of Local Search

• Conclusion

Introduction:

If your business isn’t using local search, you’re missing out on a huge marketing and sales opportunity. In 2023, nearly 60% of all search traffic will be local.  This figure has been growing year-on-year and Google seems keen for this to continue. That’s because the data shows us that people are searching for things like “restaurants near me” or “hair salons in [city]” more than ever before. 

As a business owner or franchisor, you need to make sure your business is visible to those who are searching for products or services like yours and in your local vicinity. Your customers want to save time and don't really care about your head office, that's unless they have something to complain about, right?

Businesses are known to spend a larger percentage of their marketing budget on high-level advertising and website SEO. While this is incredibly important for the visibility and awareness of a brand, there may be a lost opportunity at a local consumer level for some brands. There is a lofty number of large businesses that have completely overlooked this form of marketing and it is to their detriment.

One fashion brand comes to mind, which has led the way for many years here in Australia. Their website and national advertising, even state-based advertising are fine but at a local level, they are losing sales. Why? Well, If I were to google 'ladies shirt - near me' their ratings are dreadful and it seems that they have done nothing to protect their reputation. Allowing their GMB profile to be the dumping ground for unhappy customers. 

Which ultimately results in their local search results for ladies shirts being well down the search criteria. Not to mention if this well known brand has loyal customers and they start to read the reviews, they too start to reconsider their purchase and if others are unhappy, maybe they too should buy from another brand. 

It goes without saying that protecting your brand name and online reputation is a form of insurance every business should be mitigating. And not making local search a marketing and reputation priority is a costly move.

What is Local Search?

Local search is the key to being found in the online world. Being listed on the correct citations for your industry, having your NAP in the right places and a google listing that stands out from your competition is the formula to getting local search right.  Especially with the increased usage of voice and mobile searches in the past 12 months and with the evolution of Artificial Intelligence.

So when someone does a google search for something local, like a restaurant or a service, they are more likely to find what they are looking for if it is near them. 

This is why location optimisation for local search is so important. It can help you get found by more potential customers, and it can even help you rank higher in search results, if you are closer to the searcher. Or if you have keywords in your REO ( Review Engine Optimisation) that increase your visibility in your local area.

How to use the explosion of 'Near Me' local searches to your advantage.

As the number of local searches for “near me” continues to grow, it’s more important than ever for businesses to make sure they are appearing in these results. Here are a few tips on how you can use the explosion of “near me” local searches to your advantage:

1. Claim your business listings on popular directories and review sites, including your google listing. This will help ensure that your business is appearing in “near me” search results.

2. Optimize your website for local search by including your city and state in your titles and tags, and adding local content to your site.

3. Placing your metadata script (also referred to as Structured Data or Schema) on your website to help your business be found easier and stand out on all major search engines.

4. Use social media to promote your location-based specials and events. This will help attract local customers who are searching for things to do “near me”.

5. Increase the use of hashtags including your location, surrounding areas and products.

6. Have a process for collecting reviews and increasing your REO (review engine optimisation).

7. Audit all your online listings to make sure they are correct and have up to date NAP information.

By following these tips, you can make sure that your business is appearing in the growing number of “near me” searches being conducted each day.

The Best Ways to Rank in Local Search

The best ways to rank in local search are by optimising your website for local keywords, building citations and backlinks from high-quality websites, and creating content that is relevant to your local audience.

1. Building citations means claiming your business listing on popular directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Bing Places for Business. Be sure to include accurate NAP (name, address, phone number) information and categories that accurately describe your business.

2. Creating content that is relevant to your local audience means writing about topics that they are interested in and including city/location names in your blog posts and articles. You can also create location-specific pages on your website (e.g., a page about "things to do in Melbourne") or run a blog series featuring different businesses or attractions in your city each week.

3. Post on your Google listing regularly and update your hours on public holidays.

4. Continue growing your Reviews. Google sees reviews as user generated content and a tick of approval from your customers, making you and your business trusted. And will therefore repay your business by pushing you higher in the local search results.

Stats every business should know about Local Search

There are a few key statistics that businesses should be aware of when it comes to local search. First, 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses. Of those, 93% say they go online to find a business or service in their area. This means that if your business is not visible in local search results, you are missing out on a huge portion of potential customers.

Another important stat to be aware of is that 80% of consumers say they are more likely to do business with a company that has positive reviews. This means that not only do you need to make sure your business is visible in local search results, but you also need to focus on building up positive reviews from happy customers.

Finally, 61% of consumers say they are more likely to contact a business if they can find its contact information easily online. This means that it is important to not only have your business show up in search results, but also make sure your listing includes all the necessary information potential customers might be looking for, such as your address, phone number, and hours of operation.

A Google study revealed that people visit about 1.5 billion different locations from searches for local businesses each month. That means people are not only browsing for your business, but their intent to visit is high as well.

The Future of Local Search

As the world progresses, more and more businesses are going local. In fact, according to a 2019 study by BrightLocal, 97% of consumers use the internet to find local businesses. And, of those searchers, 84% take action as a result of their search (such as visiting the business or making a purchase).

This means that if your business wants to stay relevant and be found by potential customers, you need to make sure you have a strong local search presence. Here are some key ways you can do that:

1. Make sure your business is listed on major directories and review sites. This includes Google My Business, Yelp, Foursquare, etc. Make sure your information is accurate and up-to-date on all these platforms.

2. Optimize your website for local SEO. This means including location-specific keywords in your website content, as well as creating location pages if you have multiple locations.

3. Encourage customers to leave reviews on your Google My Business page and other review sites. Positive reviews can help improve your ranking in local search results.

4. Stay active on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Post regularly and interact with customers who mention your business or leave reviews.

By following these tips, you can ensure that your business will be visible in local search results and better positioned to attract new customers.

The Future of Local Search

Local SEO is the practice of optimising and growing your online presence to attract more business from relevant local searches including terms or keywords. It's an important part of any small business or franchise marketing plan and strategy. 

If you're not doing it, you're missing out on valuable opportunities to drive traffic and generate leads from potential customers who need what you are selling. But with so many changes happening in the world of search engine optimisation, including REO.

Make sure you have your business listings up to date. And either work with a company who specialises in local SEO or keep on top of all the changes to benefit.

This way it's the fastest way to reach the top of the SERP in your local area. How can you be sure that local SEO will still be effective in 2023? 

The answer is simple: As long as people are searching for businesses like yours online, local SEO will be an important part of driving traffic and generating leads.

And with more and more people using mobile devices to search for businesses in their area, it's only going to become more important in the years to come.

So if you're not already investing in local SEO, now is the time to start.